Protesters gathered in New York and other cities across the United States on Saturday to voice their opposition against U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and call for a ceasefire.
In Manhattan's Union Square, thousands of protesters held signs, reading "Stop the war in Iran" and "Hands off Iran," urging the government to stop military operations against the country.
"I'm hoping that all the countries and the international community push and put pressure on Israel and the United States to stop the war," said Adrian, a protester.
Demonstrators voiced their concerns over the civilians and highlighted the financial toll of the conflict.
"It could last a long time. And who's going to pay for that? Bunch of civilian. There's going to be a lot of death and destruction," said rally attendee John.
"I'm very scared of that. I really don't want that to happen. And I don't want to pay for it. Right now I just want to say, don't spend my money on more wars overseas. Do not spend money on bombs to hurt children," said Grace, another demonstrator.
The U.S. and Israel on Feb 28 launched strikes against Iran, plunging the war-torn Middle East into a new round of violence. Iran has retaliated with a series of counterattacks against Israel and U.S. targets across the region.
At least 1,332 Iranian civilians, including women and children, have been killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes and thousands more injured, Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said on Friday.
Protesters rally in New York, calling for end of strikes on Iran
Protesters rally in New York, calling for end of strikes on Iran
China's modernization of traditional culture and its extension of visa-free policies are among the initiatives that have boosted cultural exchanges with other countries, according to Ronnie Lins, executive director of the Brazil-China Research and Business Center.
In an interview with China Media Group (CMG), the Brazilian scholar said that Chinese creators have explored modern interpretations of traditional culture and been recognized by consumers around the world, adding that video game Black Myth: Wukong and animated movie Ne Zha are two prominent examples.
Launched in August 2024, Black Myth: Wukong, which is inspired by the ancient Chinese tale "Journey to the West", became an instant global sensation, selling over 10 million copies across all platforms within three days.
"Ne Zha 2" -- a modern reinterpretation of a mythological rebel -- raged its way to a staggering 15.4 billion yuan on the Chinese mainland alone in 2025, and to 2.2 billion U.S. dollars globally, becoming the world's top-grossing animated feature.
"The international reach of productions such as Black Myth: Wukong and Ne Zha showed that traditional Chinese culture can engage with the world in a contemporary way. When creators recreated it through games, animation and digital platforms, it becomes accessible, dynamic and especially applying to the young generation. These formats prove effective, because they rely on visual languages, storytelling and emotion, with universal elements that facilitate cultural understanding," said Lins.
In addition to integrating modernity into traditional culture, granting visa-free policy to nationals of an increasing number of countries also helps boost cultural exchanges, according to the Brazilian scholar.
To date, China has granted unilateral visa exemption to 50 countries and made mutual visa-free entry arrangements with 29 countries, said a foreign ministry spokeswoman on social media platform on Sunday.
"It goes beyond promoting tourism and represents a concrete commitment to openness and dialogue among people. By facilitating the movement of students, entrepreneurs, and visitors, China encourages direct human interaction that helps reduce stereotypes and misunderstandings. This closer engagement strengthens cultural exchange and contributes to more balanced international relations grounded in the real experience and mutual respect," Lins said.
China's cultural modernization, visa-free access promote civilizations' mutual learning: Brazilian scholar
